


The Temple

by Krazy_4_feeling



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Romance, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-07 12:34:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18410741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krazy_4_feeling/pseuds/Krazy_4_feeling
Summary: Agent Washington and Agent Carolina decide to hide out together after Tucker activates The Temple of Procreation. They are surprised to discover feelings they haven't been able to explore until now...Set in between season 13 and 14.





	1. Hide Out

Carolina wasn't too worried about the Temple of Procreation affecting her. She had always had a will of steel, and it had served her well from the small, forgotten child she had been to the badass agent of Project Freelancer she became.

Tucker hadn't listened to her at all as she ranted at him for activating the Temple, the artifact that threw the people of Planet Chorus into a sexual frenzy. "It was an accident, I swear!" He said, as he desperately tried to get away from her lecture and back to his adoring fans. He was a war hero of Chorus, and he had no shortage of women throwing themselves at him. He was in heaven.

 _An accident, my ass,_ thought Carolina with venom. She had decided to hide out in her quarters until the effects of the Tower wore off. Even _she_ had been receiving propositions, from men  _and_ women, and she was tired of it. With some amusement, she couldn't help but think that these people never would have dared without the influence of the artifact. She thought of looking for the other Reds and Blues to see if they would be ok, but Tucker, Donut, and Sarge were all long gone, no one had seen Grif or Simmons since the Temple was activated, and Caboose proved to be both immune and oblivious. As always. 

She just needed to check on Wash.

She found him in the training room. He was pummelling a punching bag, a look of intense concentration on his face. She watched him for a minute before she said anything. She couldn't help but notice his lean muscles under his black T-shirt and the way the sweat glinted in his dark blonde hair. A flash of heat shot through her.

 _Whoa, where did that come from?_  Carolina thought, shaking her head a little. She decided she was still getting used to seeing him without his customary black and yellow armor. She wasn't wearing her armor either. All of them had been taking breaks from it as they entered the limbo after the war ended.

She walked over to him. "Hey Wash," she said.

He looked at her, surprise in his grey-blue eyes. Carolina thought she might have saw a glimpse of something else in their depths as he studied her face, but when he spoke, his voice was as even as ever. 

"Hey Carolina. What's up?"

"Thought I'd give you a heads up about my plan to ride this thing out," said Carolina, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "In case you guys need me. I'm going to shut myself up in my quarters until everything... Settles down. Everyone has lost their damn minds."

Wash chuckled softly. "People are actually brave enough to hit on THE Agent Carolina?"

"You have no idea," she replied, rolling her green eyes. "Like I said. Lost. Their. Minds."

He laughed. "So where are the guys?"

"Oh here and there. Having the time of their lives, I'm sure."

Wash shook his head. "I still can't believe Tucker did that."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Really? You can't?"

"Well-"

"Hey," Carolina interrupted suddenly, surprising herself. "You should come with. We can hang out, keep each other from being too bored."

She didn't know what prompted her to do it. She realized suddenly that she... wouldn't mind spending more time with him. And if she couldn't trust Wash, who could she trust?

* * *

 

Wash was taken aback by the invitation but tried to hide it.

"Well sure" He said uncertainly. "I mean, yes! Ok." 

_Smooth, Wash._

He had come to the training room to avoid the unwanted attention he himself had been getting. Earlier, a girl had cornered him and had been so forward and touchy, that he had felt his face burn under his freckles all the way to his ears. He backed away from her,  tripping over his own feet and essentially ran away.

 _I guess the Tower doesn't affect me,_ he thought. He had felt no temptation, even though the girl had been conventionally attractive. He'd always been a little shy with girls, maybe that was why he felt nothing.

Until Carolina had come to find him.

His heart started to pound when she leaned against the wall, talking to him, joking with him. She was wearing a black tank top that showed her curves and muscles. She truly had the most perfect body, marred though it was by scars. Wash found it was more of a struggle than usual to keep his gaze level with her brilliant green eyes and red hair, plaited and slung over her shoulder.

No way was he going to say no to her invitation. He doubted there was any other motivation to it other than what she said, but he was grateful for any time he could spend with her.

"Come on," Carolina said with a small smile. "We can play cards or something."

Following her, Wash could admit to himself that he had always been attracted to her, all the way back to The Project when she had been cold and unattainable. She had changed so much towards him since their time with the Reds and Blues. Friendly wasn't quite the word, maybe tender? She seemed to cling to him, as if she preferred his company over anyone else's. 

They made it to her quarters, and Wash looked around curiously. He'd only ever been in the doorway of her room, waking her for some emergency. The sun poured in from her one window. Her room was sparse, neat and tidy, and everything seemed to be in footlocker at the end of her bed.  The only thing that seemed personal was her aqua armor, stacked neatly in a corner, and a red and white Zippo lighter on her footlocker. Wash was curious about it, but he didn't ask. Her bed was made impeccably, complete with hospital corners.  It seemed a shame to sit on it, but there was nowhere else to sit. He sat, feeling nervous, and not understanding why. Carolina dug a deck of cards from her footlocker and sat next to him. 

"Damn Carolina," Wash said, looking around. "It's so homey in here,"

She laughed a little, looking at him with those green eyes. "Well, I've learned to not get too comfortable in one place for too long. Now that the war is over, I'm guessing we'll be moving on soon."

He watched her as she shuffled the deck, hands graceful and capable as she was with everything. He started to imagine how those slender hands would feel like touching his skin. He mentally shook himself. Her closeness was beginning to intoxicate him. He questioned if being here was a mistake, but now that he was here, he couldn't bring himself to leave. He felt a little strange being there, thinking of her in that way, and he supposed it was because some part of him still thought of her as his leader even though they were now equals.

"What do you want to play?" Carolina asked, her voice was a little husky.

"I uh, I don't think I can focus on a game right now." He said, with a small laugh. She looked at him curiously, and Wash thought he maybe saw something else there. "Maybe we can talk for a little bit," he suggested.

"Ok," she said. She put the deck of cards down and leaned against the wall. "What do you want to talk about?"

Wash hadn't thought that far. "Well, where do you think you'll go next?" He was a little nervous about the answer now that he had asked it. He realized he was scared that she would leave them, now that the action was over. 

She looked surprised at the question. "Well, I hadn't really thought about it. I feel like...maybe I want to stay with you guys." She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Those idiots might need me around." 

Wash heard her fondness when she said 'those idiots.' "So you finally got attached to them?" He asked with a laugh. "We've come so far from when you first met them." He leaned on the wall next to her

"Ok, I admit it. I guess I like being around them."

She looked at him seriously. "Well, them...and you." There was a pause. "Mostly you." She added.

Wash felt his jaw drop  but quickly tried to recover from his shock. But she had seen it and laughed softly. The sound did something to him. "Don't act so surprised, Wash. Was I really so mean to you during The Project?"

He gave a small smile and looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

"I guess so," she said, a little sadly. "For what its worth, I'm sorry." 

"Don't be," he said. "It's different now. And... I like being with you too."

"I know." She said with a smirk.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh yeah?" He challenged. He felt a heat unfurl in his stomach at her expression. They sat, looking at each other, not talking.

They were the only remnants of a project long dead, and they had been through more shit together than most people knew. Their shared history bound them, for better or worse. She had been his leader, his tormentor, and his friend.

Could they be more?

A stray, red lock had fallen over her forehead. Without thinking, Wash reached and brushed it off, his fingers grazing her soft skin. Carolina froze as a jolt of electricity passed between them at the contact. Suddenly, Wash wanted more. More contact, more closeness, more of  _her._  

Maybe the Tower was affecting him after all. 

With his last ounce of self-restraint, he attempted to stand. "I should go," he said, flushing. 

She put her hand on his chest and stopped him. "Don't." She said, her emerald eyes burning. He stared at her beautiful face. She looked away, almost embarrassed. "I mean, I don't want you to leave."  He lightly touched her jaw and gently turned her head back to him.

He smiled a slow, content smile at her. He could never say no to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was surprised that I couldn't find any works about if anything happened between Wash and Carolina after they activated the temple, so I just had to write this! More chapters coming soon and I hope you enjoy it!


	2. Partners

Carolina's head began to swim in anticipation as she stared at him, feeling his warm hand under her chin. There was an expression darkening his greyish-blue gaze that she had never seen in his eyes before, and it took her a second before she recognized it as desire. When she took a second to think about it, it wasn't the first time he had looked at her like this, he was just not hiding it this time.

He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers, and her eyes fluttered closed. Her heart almost broke with love for him. His kiss was so _Wash_ , sweet and polite, almost formal.

But she didn't want formal.

She deepened the kiss, exploring his tongue with hers while she slid her hands under his t-shirt feeling his lean, swimmer's body. He broke the kiss and gave a sharp intake of breath at her touch, and she began to seductively lick his neck as she pushed him back onto her small mattress. She wanted to savor the moment, but she was so hungry for him that she couldn't slow herself down. There hadn't been anyone for her since York, and Wash was so different from him. Blonde haired and blue eyed where York had had brown eyes and hair, Wash lean and fit instead of obviously muscular. The most intriguing difference was how they touched her. York had been all aggression and passion, but Wash was something different. He curled his hand in her fiery red hair and kissed her as if he cherished her. It was almost too much, so tender and  _incredible._

Carolina straddled him as she broke the kiss to impatiently pull at his shirt. He smiled a little at her aggressiveness, and complied. Carolina's heart thundered in her chest as she pulled off her own tank top, and watched his eyes as he stared at her body. She was still wearing a sports bra, but she could tell that he enjoyed what he saw. She felt his appreciation pressing into her. He glanced up into her eyes, a sheepish grin on his face, and look back down at her body. He traced a scar she had on her ribs, thumb running over it delicately. She suppressed a moan.

"God, you are perfect," he said, his voice husky. She loved his voice, she realized. It was familiar, it was home. He sat up, with her legs and arms still wrapped around him, and began kissing her neck. Carolina started fumbling at his jean's buttons.  _More,_ she thought _._

Suddenly, there was an unwelcome interruption. "Wash!" Yelled a familiar voice from inside the barracks. "Wash where are you?"

Wash's eyes flew open and there was almost a look of physical pain in them.

"Is that-" he started.

"Tucker," Carolina responded with a small laugh. "I didn't think he'd be the one to cock-block us."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Wash said. "Maybe we can ignore him-"

"Wash!" called Tucker. "WAAAAAASSHHHHHHH!"

"Jesus Christ. I better go see what he wants. It'll get rid of him quicker."

Wash scrambled up and went to the door. Carolina tossed him his shirt. "Don't forget this," she said with a laugh.

"Good call," he said, pulling it on. He paused at the doorway. "Hold that thought. Please."

He walked out.

Carolina wrapped her arms around her knees and waited, amused, irritated, and mostly  _frustrated._

* * *

 

Wash was swearing under his breath as he walked out to meet Tucker.

"-Can't even get one damn minute without these idiots-" He found Tucker outside of his room, still calling for him. "WHAT, TUCKER?" Wash snapped.

"There you are!" Tucker said, relief showing on his sharp, dark features. "Dude, I have been looking everywhere for you."  


"Yeah, I heard," said Wash. "What do you want?"

"I have a serious question. It's an  _emergency."_

He paused dramatically. Wash was not in the mood. "Dude. Spit it out."

"I need condoms, like desperately."  


Wash stared at him. "Seriously? That's why you're running around the barracks, calling my name like a lunatic?"

"Well yeah!" Said Tucker. "Come on, you're the only one I can ask. Its not like the other guys will have them. Please dude, I have  _two girls_ out there waiting for me."

"Jesus H. Christ." Wash said, running his hand through his hair.  "Well I don't have any."

Tucker's face fell. "Really?" He said, disappointed. 

"Really. Now go away."

"Eh whatever," Said Tucker. "I tried. It'll probably turn out fine anyways." He turned to go, before looking at Wash closely.

"Are  _you_ OK?" He asked. "Your face is all red, or whatever."

"I'm  _fine,_ go back to what you were doing." Then, realizing, Wash said, "Wait, don't. Go get yourself condoms before-"

"I'm going! Bye Wash!" Tucker quickly walked away from him. 

 _Ugh,_ thought Wash. But he couldn't keep his thoughts on Tucker, as he practically ran back to Carolina's room. 

"You will not believe what Tucker just did-" He began as he opened her door, but the words died when he saw her. She had wrapped her white sheet around her body and loosed her hair from her braid.. She looked like a Grecian Goddess among mortals.

 _What is she doing with me?_ Wash asked himself incredulously, but he didn't give himself time to dwell.

"Are you naked?" He asked, then mentally berated himself for the naive question.

She smirked, eyes burning. "Why yes, I am, Agent Washington. You might want to catch up."

When she called him Agent, everything immediately fired up again, and he tore off his shirt. He leaned over her on the bed, kissing her, cupping her face in his hand. The sheet fell off her shoulder and he could see one amazingly perfect breast. His breathing became ragged and shallow as he unbuttoned his pants, quickly sliding them off. He crawled under the covers with her, admiring everything about her body. He hovered above her, and looked into her green eyes.

"Can I- I need to-" he stuttered, not knowing how to ask.

She smiled sweetly, and kissed him slow and tender. "Yes," She whispered, the most beautiful word. He ran his hand down her side, and angled her perfect hips up.

* * *

 

He rocked into her, slowly. Carolina closed her eyes tightly as she adjusted to him inside her.

It was  _amazing._

Wash paused, his breath coming fast and shallow.She thrust her hips towards him encouragingly, meeting him. He began to move in and out and she moaned loudly, unable to stifle it. His head rested on her shoulder,and she could feel his hot breath on her neck. She wrapped her strong legs around his waist, binding him to her, and encouraged he increased his pace. It made her gasp as she knotted her hands in his hair.

She would never have guessed it would be this way. Back in the Project Freelancer days, she never looked at Wash except as the rookie, almost as a responsibility she needed to protect. But they had changed so much in the intervening years. He was different, harder and battle-tested, but he still maintained that innate sweetness that she had always overlooked. But she wasn't overlooking him anymore. This, what they were doing, this felt  _right._  They were partners in every way.

He got brave, and dipped his head to her breast. His tongue circled her nipple and she gasped at the sensations it stirred up in her. She attempted to touch his body but he took her small hands in one of his own and held them above her head. She felt drunk off his scent, off the noises he made as he thrust into her. She reveled in his rough, unforgiving pace, at the mixture of pleasure and almost pain that she felt. It was a good pain. Without thinking, she bit his shoulder, and smirked slightly at his intake of breath.  Suddenly, she felt her climax began to build.  _So fast_! she thought, shocked, but she followed the feeling. She was almost there.

"Wash, I'm going to-" But the rest of the words never made it to her lips. He looked up at her, those eyes so full of love and reverence, and the expression pushed her over. The pleasure took over her entire being and it felt like her world shattered into a million glorious pieces. Her mind went blank as she screamed her pleasure, not caring in that moment if anyone heard them. He had slowed his pace as the convulsions in her body slowed and eventually stopped. After a few minutes, she came back to Earth, smiling at him contentedly. He looked smug, and Carolina's competitive spirit took it as a challenge.

 _His turn,_ she thought. She pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him. He watched her, eyes drinking in the sight of her like he was committing every curve to memory. She slid onto him, and felt powerful and sexy when he couldn't contain a groan. He placed his hands on her hips as she moved up and down, slowly, deliberately. She ran her fingers through her bright red hair, and closed her eyes, feeling every thrust. He watched as though transfixed. He moved a hand from her waist to her breasts, and rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She gasped.

" _David,"_ She whispered. She didn't know why she had used his real name, but it seemed to be all he needed. He plunged into her deeply, wrapping his arms around her, and came  deep inside her. She met every thrust and he cried out a little, in his beloved voice. She smiled down at him, sweat gleaming on her pale body, and was amused and intoxicated by his surprised, grateful expression.

"Wow," was all he seemed to be able to say. She climbed off, laying on her side, looking at him, running her hands up and down his chest. He looked at her sheepishly. "I didn't use anything."  


She laughed. "Don't worry, I'm on birth control."

He grabbed her hand in his own and looked at her, eyes almost sad. "Is this just...a Tower thing?"

She rolled on top of him, head resting on her arms. "No," She said, seriously.

His smile was glorious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing a real love scene, but I ship these two so hard (CarWash!) I definitely think I'll write more chapters in this series. I just had to throw Tucker in there, for the laughs. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Loss

Carolina had said what had happened between them wasn't because of the activated Temple. Yet, the next morning, she had snuck out from her own room, not waking him, and was now avoiding Wash like the plague. He was going crazy trying to figure out why.

The Reds and Blues had eventually trickled back to the barracks, except for Caboose, who had never left. He was simply delighted he'd had the TV all to himself. The first one Wash actually bumped into was Donut, resplendent in a feather boa and colorful beaded jewelry, cheeks flushed.

"Oh, hey Wash!" Donut said brightly, completely unashamed of his attire. "How's it going?"

"Uh, good," Wash said hesitantly. "I mean  _great._  Hey Donut, you haven't seen Carolina around have you?"

"Actually I have!" replied Donut. "She was out on the track. You know her, she was really going  _fast_ and  _hard!"  
_

"Ugh," Wash said. He supposed he should have been used to Donut's double entendre by now. "Ok. Thanks Donut."

Wash started to automatically towards the track, but stopped. Maybe he shouldn't bother her, he thought. _She seemed like she wanted to be left alone_. He paused as he ran his hand through his messy blonde hair and sighed. His mind was yelling at him to go, he had always been one to want to fix things, to find the peace. He turned back and was surprised to see Donut looking at him, concern and sympathy in his violet-blue eyes.

"Wash, are you ok?" Donut asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine," He said. How many times had he said that and not meant it? Donut smiled a little, clearly unbelieving. "Well, actually-" Wash started.

"Hey Wash, got a second?" Said Tucker, walking up to them. He noticed Donut, and narrowed his eyes. "Donut, what the hell are you wearing?"

Donut tossed his head, unabashed, "It's called  _style,_ Tucker. Maybe I can teach you sometime." He stalked off, Tucker looking after him incredulously. 

"That guy, right?" said Tucker, shaking his head. "Anyways, you busy?"

"That....depends," asked Wash, cautiously. Knowing Tucker, this conversation could be serious or-

"I have to tell SOMEONE about my day," Tucker said, looking happier than Wash thought he'd ever seen him.

Wash sighed and rolled his eyes. So it was the second option, then.

* * *

_Why are you doing this, Carolina?_

She kept asking herself that same question over and over. When the sun had risen, she hadn't got up immediately. Instead, she found herself entranced with watching him sleep. He looked younger, the lines around his eyes were smoothed out, and his mouth was slightly open, snoring just a little. She resisted the urge to touch him, to stroke his face or to ruffle his blonde hair. She didn't want to wake him.

As more time passed, her adoration for him started giving away to fear. She tried so hard to fight it, tried to hold on to the glow she had felt lying in his arms. They had barely got any sleep with their nocturnal activities. They had passed the hours tangled up in each other, discovering each other in all types of new ways, and each time was better than the last. But as the glow wore off, she started thinking about how everyone she loved inevitably left her.

Or died. 

Despair strangled her heart when she remembered how it felt to lose York. She hadn't been there for him at the end, and she had to live with the fact that his last memory of her was her betraying him.  _What if something happens to Wash?_ She thought, and tears stung her eyes at the mere idea.  _Don't be stupid,_ she argued with herself.  _Nothing is going to happen to him._

Unbidden, the image of finding Wash after he battled Locus came to her mind. For a heart-stopping moment, she had thought he was dead and had felt like she was in a waking nightmare. She had tore off his helmet and felt for his pulse. His heart still beat, it was weak, but it was there, and she'd almost fainted from the relief.

And that's when Carolina finally admitted to herself how much he mattered to her. He mattered more than anyone. She didn't think she could stand it if anything happened to him, especially now that they both fully realized the depth of their feeling for one another. He was her partner, the person whose spirit could not be broken, who came up fighting from anything he endured. She couldn't stand the weakness she felt not being able to guarantee his safety, and so she had risen silently from the bed and slipped out. 

_Why are you doing this, Carolina?_ She knew she was hurting him, she heard it in his voice as he called her name. It only made her feel worse, and she avoided him even more. She hadn't seen him since the morning. She sat outside, cleaning her weapon when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Hey Carolina!" said a cheerful voice. She turned and saw Donut. 

"Hey," She said, forcing a half-smile. "What are you doing?"

"Oh not much," He said. "Wash was looking for you earlier."

She didn't reply as she swiveled a cleaning rod down her barrel.

"I think maybe...you should go talk to him," He said, cautiously. She looked up at him in surprise. He had a knowing look on his face. "Maybe...it'll make you feel better." He gave her a small squeeze on her shoulder, and walked away. She stared after him. 

Maybe he was more perceptive than he seemed.

She inwardly cringed as she hoped the rest of the Reds and Blues hadn't caught onto her and Wash. She shuddered to think of all the dumb things they would say to them if they found out. Especially Tucker. She sighed as she played with her braided hair, a nervous habit she had thought she lost. Carolina knew that Donut was right, and she couldn't keep putting off the inevitable.

She needed to talk to Wash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a bit of a short chapter, but I'm glad I got Donut in there. He is one of my favorites! I just had to add a dash of angst to this couple. Stay tuned for Part 4!


	4. Sunset

While Carolina was searching for him, her mind considered and discarded ideas of what she would say to him. 

 _I should tell him the truth,_ she thought.  _That I don't regret it, and I got scared for some stupid reason._

But the cold part of her mind rebelled against this idea.  _If I tell him that, then he'll forgive me. We won't stop... whatever this is. And if something happens to him, it might destroy me._

She knew then what she would say to him. She steeled herself for the conversation she knew was coming as she climbed the stairs to the roof of the barracks. She had known all along that he would be up there, but had resisted going there in an attempt to delay the inevitable. She buried the sadness attempting to claw its way out of her and sighed, before pasting a false smile on her face and opening the door to the warm summer evening. He was sitting in an old lawn chair they'd found, back to her, and the setting sun was like fire in his blonde hair. He had earbuds in and he was just looking out over their view of Chorus. He enjoyed looking at the sunsets, and Carolina didn't know if it had always been that way. She longed to ask him, wanted to know everything about him, even the seemingly unimportant things. Maybe she simply loved the sound of his voice. But she needed to distance herself from that way of thinking. 

 _Keep it casual,_ she thought, when she felt anything but. The sight of him made her heart beat faster, and she berated herself for such a reaction to someone she had known for what felt like forever.

He sensed movement behind him, and turned towards her, his handsome face in part shadow, his expression unreadable. He took out his earbuds but didn't say anything as she swung herself into the empty lawn chair next to him, smiling with confidence that she didn't truly feel. 

"Hey Wash," she said, voice casual. 

He narrowed his eyes warily. "Hey,"  he said, slowly. There was none of the usual happiness to see her in his gaze, only caution. It made her sad to see him look at her like that again. Carolina remembered that he had looked at her with that same expression when she had returned from the dead, and found him and his new team, the Reds and Blues. She treated him horribly, bossing him around like no time had passed, like he was still that rookie who was to follow her orders without question. He had done so, but she had seen the hesitation and caution grow when it came to following her in her single-minded quest to hunt down the director. That expression of distrust hadn't bothered her then as much as it did now.

"You're a hard guy to find," She said, leaning back, attempting to look unbothered.

Wash laughed once. It was a harsh sound, with no real amusement in it. "I don't think I've been as hard to find as you have, Carolina" he said, his voice uncharacteristically flat.

Carolina sighed. At least some part of her was hoping she wouldn't need to speak the words. "Look, we need to talk about what happened," she said.

He sighed and turned to face her on the chair. "I guess we do," he responded, a little sadly. 

"I should apologize," she said, her voice almost professional. "I don't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't have told you to come over.It was...irresponsible." She forced a laugh. "Maybe it was the Temple's fault after all, I don't know."

His eyes cut to her at this last, and he raised an eyebrow. He didn't say anything, so she barreled on. 

"Look, I know I've been kind of MIA today and I'm sorry for that too, but I just needed some time to think. And what I've decided is that we should forget anything ever... happened. Let's just chalk it up to crazy circumstances and go back to being friends and colleagues. I don't want this to ruin our working relationship. You're a good guy and a good partner and I don't think we should mess that up. Ok?"

She held her breath after she finished. He looked away from her, and she couldn't see his face in the dying light. The pause was so long, she couldn't stand it. She wanted to go to him and let him hold her, but she held herself together. Suddenly he looked at her, eyes angry.

"Bullshit," he snapped.

* * *

 

Carolina looked astounded. Whatever reaction she was expecting, that was clearly not it. 

"Um, what?" She said, flabbergasted.

"I said, 'bullshit,'" he repeated. He stood up quickly, feeling angry, but underneath that, he felt hurt. He wasn't sure why she had avoided him all day, or why she was saying what she was now. But he could tell she was lying, and he wanted her to tell him what was really happening.

"Yesterday, you said this what happened wasn't a Tower thing, and  _that_ was the truth," he said. "I don't know why you changed your mind about us, but I'm not going to sit here and listen to this weak excuse. When you decide you want to tell me what's  _really_ going on, you know where to find me." He started to storm off towards the door, when he heard her leap to her feet.

"How dare you?" She said, sounding angry herself now. "You think you know everything I'm thinking? What we did was impulsive, and you know that."

"So you do regret it?" he snapped, turning back to her.

She blinked. "That's  _not_ what I was-"

"So which is it? You do or you don't?"

"I-"

"Look," Wash interrupted, voice calm once more. "If you're still not-" His voice broke, and he swallowed. "If you're still not over York, I understand. And I'm sorry."

Wash turned away again. That had to be it. It had been years since York died, but everyone back during the Project had known about the two of them. It hadn't ended well, with York siding with Tex, and Carolina staying with the Director. Wash had been the one to find York after he died, and he'd told Carolina about it during one of the few quiet moments they had together. She had nodded when he told her, and anyone else who might have seen her in that moment would say that she had taken the news well. But Wash could see the way her green eyes had misted for a moment before she quickly averted her gaze, and saw the painful way she had swallowed her sadness. Wash had done the same when he had found York, and the cold way he himself had reacted to seeing his old friend tormented him when he let himself think about it. He could only imagine how Carolina felt. She must feel like she had betrayed York and his memory by being with Wash, someone who had been a friend to both of them.

"Wash, that's not-" Carolina started, breathlessly, but Wash interrupted.

"It's fine, ok?" He said. "We can act like nothing happened." He put his hand on the door knob, and suddenly felt her hand grab his arm. He turned towards her, and could only get a glimpse of her burning emerald eyes before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

He was taken aback. She kissed him as though she thought he would vanish forever, and she poured all her regret and true feeling into it. Wash was confused, but he found himself responding to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and deepening the kiss. He broke apart, and looked at her searchingly.

"It's not that I'm not over York," she whispered, looking down as if ashamed. "It's just that-" She inhaled deeply. "Everyone I've ever loved dies. And- I didn't think I could handle that again. So I tried to push you away." 

She looked up at him, and Wash was shocked to see a tear rolling down her flawless face. "But I can't stay away from you. I thought I could, but I can't. I-"

But she couldn't seem to finish her thought. Wash was overcome with emotion for her as everything clicked into place.  _Of course_ , he thought. He might have felt irritated, but her pushing him away due to her own feelings and not being able to handle that was so quintessentially Carolina, that he almost rolled his eyes. He lightly brushed the tear from her cheek and looked at her with undiguised adoration. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again, grabbing a fistful of his blonde hair.

"I'm sorry," she murmured quietly, between kisses. "I'm so sorry."

Carolina was pushing him back towards the lawn chair, and he allowed himself to be led. She pushed him down onto it, and he gave a quick silent prayer it would hold their combined weight as she climbed on top of him. The sunset was giving way to a starry sky, but it was still quite warm. Yet, he couldn't really focus on the weather as she straddled him, pushing his shirt impatiently over his head, barely pausing from kissing him. She helped him pull off his pants, and though he wanted her, badly, he stopped her. The sting of her almost-rejection was still fresh.

"Are you sure, Carolina?" he asked seriously. She looked at him. "Yes," she said. "I want you, David." He wanted to hear the words, but he felt like he needed a little more. He watched her, imploringly. She leaned into him. "Please," she whispered. The word was almost his undoing. He nodded once, and and watched as she tore her own clothes off. It was too rushed to truly be seductive, but he found himself seduced all the same. He reveled in the sight of her body, because all day he'd been feeling certain that he'd never see it again. She sank down onto his straining erection, and waves of pleasure overwhelmed his senses. He thrust his hips upwards and she gasped, tossing her head back, her braid slithered down her back.

"Yes," She moaned, almost pleadingly. She kept her green eyes on his body, and leaned down to kiss his scars that were slashed across his chest. She moved her hips in slow circles, and he squeezed her thighs, fingers sinking into the smooth, white skin. She felt  _incredible,_ she  _was_ incredible. This time seemed different, it was more...loving was the only word he could think of. She moved slow and deliberately, moving from a circular motion to an up and down motion. She didn't close her eyes, appearing to want to drink the sight of him in. He couldn't hold back for much longer. She leaned her head towards his. "Don't leave me," she pleaded in a whisper. 

 _Never,_ thought Wash, but the words never made it. Her vulnerability broke him and he squeezed her hard as he orgasmed, feeling almost lightheaded from the pure pleasure and bliss. He loosed his grip but still kept them wrapped around her as he opened his eyes. She layed on top of him, breathing hard, skin glowing in the starlight. 

And then she breathed words that he almost couldn't hear. Words that were so perfect, he wondered if he dreamed them

"I love you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 4, and I hope you like it! I already have an idea for chapter 5 that I'm pretty excited about, and I can't wait to share it with you.


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